Anti-poverty campaigners Bono and Bob Geldof have unveiled an online game targeting Silvio Berlusconi — a hammer thrower in the game hurls the Italian Premier’s cartoon character into the air. The game is a sharp attack on Italy’s unfulfilled aid pledges to Africa. Called “Hurl Berl”, the game allows players to use mouse clicks to control the direction in which Berlusconi is thrown, and the degree of force used.
Thereafter, Berlusconi can be tossed into the skies, bumping over fluffy white clouds, before he crashes onto a cloud of dust.
But if the throw is mistimed, Berlusconi falls into a safety net and the seven other G8 leaders, including British Prime Minister David Cameron, hold up a banner reading “Foul Throw, Try Again”.
The game was developed by One, a lobby group founded by Bono which aims to increase government funding for and effectiveness of international aid programmes.
“We want you to try and throw Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi out of the G8 because he’s let the side down once again,” the Telegraph quoted One’s website, as saying.
According to poverty campaigners, Italy has the worst record of any G8 country in living up to its promises for African aid.
The website added: “Most G8 countries have cancelled debt and increased effective aid to Africa.”
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1 killed in plane crash in Alaska, four injured
Alaska : A small airplane crashed in a busy business district near downtown during rush hour, killing a small child and injuring the four other people onboard, authorities said on Wednesday.
Bystanders rushed to help those onboard the Cessna 206 after it clipped the roof of a motel and crashed in front of an unoccupied former car lot office, sparking a fire, shortly after 5 pm on Tuesday. No other injuries were reported. “It was the citizens who did the work and pulled people out,” said police Lt. Dave Parker.
A witness, Hunter Brosh, said a girl about 10-years-old was among those pulled out alive. Mr Brosh helped people out of the burning plane. —AP